Many different uses have been found for penetration resistant materials. For example, penetration resistant materials can be used to protect storage containers, vehicles and personnel from damage by projectiles. These materials also generally protect from penetration from flying shrapnel and the like.
Many types of penetration resistant materials, such as Kevlar®, are made from high strength fibers. These fibers can be integrated with, or layered into, articles of clothing such as vests or parts of vests. In addition, the fibers can be used as part of a woven or knitted fabric. For other applications, the fibers are encapsulated or embedded in a composite material.
Because there is a trade-off in weight versus ballistic penetration resistance, many materials of a specified weight are unable to stop, or greatly slow down, a ballistic projectile. Moreover, it is known that stacking multiple layers of anti-ballistic composites generally increases resistance to ballistic penetration. However the multiple layers also result in an increase in overall weight of the completed panels. The overall weight of the panels becomes increasingly important for panels that are used, for example, on anti-ballistic armor that is wearable. Weight can also be an important factor for large vehicles, such as trucks, ships or aircraft because additional weight reduces fuel efficiency and speed.